ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – The Romans Empire is flaunting its considerable muscle. Three of the eight 3-year-olds in the Grade 1 Secretariat Stakes have shipped north to Chicago from the Dale Romans barn at Churchill Downs, and the odds are good that one of them will find the Arlington Park winner’s circle at the end of their 1 1/4-mile journey Saturday.

The millionaire Russell Road has been a dominant presence among West Virginia-breds at Charles Town. Except when it comes to the Frank Gall Memorial, that is.

Although the 6-year-old gelding Russell Road won the 2009 running of the seven-furlong Gall at 1-10 odds, he was sixth at 1-10 in 2010 and third at 3-10 in last year’s race. Russell Road, 21 for 35 with earnings of $1.2 million, is back for his fourth crack at the $50,000 Gall on Saturday night. He comes into the race off a fourth-place finish against open company in the $100,000 Wild and Wonderful on June 30.

Frolic’s Revenge couldn’t catch Awesome Belle in the Three Ring at Calder last month, but that scenario is unlikely to play out on Saturday when they are rematched at the Miami track in the Crystal Rail Stakes. The Crystal Rail, for 3-year-old fillies, is one of two $75,000, 7 1/2-furlong turf stakes on the card, along with the Naked Greed Stakes for 3-year-olds.

Trainer Greg Tracy likes his chances in both divisions of the Two Year Old Sales Stakes at Northlands Park Saturday.

The colts and geldings division drew seven horses and goes as the seventh race with Tracy saddling the probable favorite, Leprechaun Kid. The Tracy-trained Tell Me Lies looks like the one to beat in the four-horse fillies division, which will go as the first race. Both races are at 6 1/2 furlongs and worth $50,000.

Recent stakes winners Global Power and Lentenor are among four turf runners coming off career-best Beyer Speed Figures entered in Saturday’s $50,000 Eight Thirty Stakes at Delaware Park.

The 4-year-old Global Power, based at Churchill Downs with trainer Tom Amoss, comes into the 7 1/2-furlong Eight Thirty following a neck victory at 8-1 in the $100,000 Sussex at Delaware on July 21. He was awarded a 93 Beyer Figure and will be seeking his third straight win Saturday.

DEL MAR, Calif. – With Joel Rosario, the leading rider the past three summers at Del Mar, having relocated to New York, his rivalry with Rafael Bejarano for the top spot at every meeting in Southern California has become a one-man show, and what a show Bejarano has been putting on this summer at Del Mar.

DEL MAR, Calif. – Patrick Valenzuela sat at a table in the kitchen adjacent to the jockeys’ room at Del Mar, his work for the day, such as it is these days, complete. He had ridden one horse. It won. He was eating an orange, cut neatly into quarters, onto which Valenzuela had deposited healthy dollops of Tabasco sauce, and when he bit into one of the slices, the sweat started to bead atop his bald head, so he sucked on a lime wedge to take out the sting.

Suddenly, Valenzuela leaped up. “Wait right here,” he said. “I want to show you something.”

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. − It wasn’t supposed to be this easy.

Riding in what is considered the toughest colony in the country this summer at Saratoga, Ramon Dominguez was expected to be among a handful of riders competing for the jockey title.

Instead, he’s turned it into a no-contest.

DEL MAR, Calif. - Shrug, making his first start at five furlongs on turf, won his first stakes in Wednesday’s $93,600 Green Flash Handicap at Del Mar.

Ridden by Victor Espinoza, Shrug ($21.40) finished a nose in front of 8-5 Lakerville in the field of seven. Sirocco Strike, a 6-1 shot, finished a neck behind Lakerville in third, and was a head in front of 7-5 favorite Koast. Koast was third with a furlong remaining but could not sustain the rally.

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill - Out on the Arlington main track for the first time Wednesday stepped the pair of Marco Botti-trained horses here for two Million Day races, Crackerjack King, who runs in the Million, and Jakkalberry, who should be favored in the American St. Leger.

Crackerjack King, who is 4, is by Shamardal, and Jakkalberry, 6, by Storming Home, but both horses were produced by the mare Claba di San Jore, making them half-brothers.